Rubbish.

Howard will be remembered for keeping interest rates low. He'll be remembered for the unprecedented wealth the suburbs now enjoy. People might whinge about Howard, and curse him when he appears on TV... but they do it on their new plasma screens in air conditioned comfort.

Self interest rules our electorate and the fantasy that international relations and climate change will be the centre of the next election is ridiculous.

The Howard legacy will be charactersized as: full employment, the mineral boom, low interest rates and fixing the Murray.

Housing affordability, oil prices and the stock market are the danger areas for Howard.

Electors living in the thirsty cities watching their gardens wither and die under draconian water restrictions are interested in water policy.

There are a few disturbing stories around about the $10 billion water package. They are:

1. the money was allocated in the previous pre-election budget but not spent

2. currently the Murray Darling Basin costs the states $6 billion to manage, money that will now come from the federal government

3. the $10 billion will be shared amongst many water basins, not just the Murray Darling

4. currently state governments have to gain approvals from 5 seperate federal departments to spend on water infrastructure

The $10 billion water package is seriously underfunded and will be very effective at deflective the publics concern about the lack of vision shown by government

As much as I would like to concur with the author, I can't help but feel it's a little naive to assume Howard is out of this fight.
Rudd is still the underdog, and if previous elections have taught us anything, it is that Howard is the master of last minute populism.

Dear John,

You forgot one very long lasting memory that I for one will have and that is Howard's serious and deliberate concentration in ignoring Indigenous people and affairs.

Howard's determined effort to remove it from the national radar (along with Labor’s grateful acquiescence) was so effective that even you forgot it too.

Didn’t someone call it ‘disremembering’?

(Rudd, Howard, Latham, Costello, same dog, different haircuts:

I, like TurnRight Turn Left, am not as optimistic about the hoped-for change as the author is. I hope he is right, but I have too many reservations.
Arcticdog

Howard's recent swipe at Obama in mother land indicates that he has run out of rodent juice.

Obama's response was brilliant.

"If Prime Minister Howard truly believes what he says, perhaps his country should find its way to contribute more than just 1,400 troops so some American troops can come home,"

Lovely refreshing point of view, John Tomlison! I just hope that you're right. Listening to John Howard over the years, I marvelled at his ability to twist things around: the Tampa thing was somehow the fault of the refugees. not a lie by the government. Asylum-seekers became "illegal immigrants" in the words of Howard, and the public and the media, even the ABC followed Howard's lead and used this incorrect term.
Then there was the Wheat Board scandal - Howard maneged quite successfully to blame this on the UN, in 2003, not on AWA deception, and government incompetence (or more likely deception, too).

Howard doesn't just twist the facts around, and use half-truths. He makes mantras out of lies. Have you noticed how often Howard speaks of "clen green nuclear energy", and includes it in "renewable" energy sources? Nuclear energy is neither clean, green, nor renewable.
My worry is that the public and the media will just continue to be conned. I hope that I'm wrong. Christina Macpherson www.antinuclearaustralia.com

The thing for NSW voters to remember at the coming State election is that a vote for Morris Iemma is a vote for John Howard later in the year. This is because there is a significant segment of the population that, although they may not like Howard very much, do not want one political party to run every government in the country.

Whoever is elected on 24th March will have to bring in many unpopular policies, and if the premier is Peter Debnam this would cause a backlash that would damage Howard. If the premier is Iemma this would help Howard retain office.

My money is on both incumbents being reelected.

Tin Tin and Pinocchia (the feminine equivalent of Pinocchio - the one with the pointy nose) are truly the Dream Team when they can inspire such a dream on the part of John Tomlinson. It is a dream worthy of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It is a dream driven by what he would wish the future to be.

I might share the wish, but I have little expectation that it will be fulfilled and I do not share the dream!

Rudd is a smart spin operator. He will rely on this as a major strategy to fight the next election. John congratulations on ur inaugural propogandist post. I suspect u are a recruted member of the Dream Team spin department. Hows ur mate Naomi doing.

Good article,having said that,I have written many letters about John Howard and what he was in the process of doing,destroying the lifes of the battlers and working class of Australia.So in short I am just waiting for him to name the date of the next federal election,when me and my working family can use the ballot box,with only one thing in my mind.John Howard your use by date has come,do me and my family a favour,get on your horse and ride into the sunset of Australian history

Even Queensland Liberal Senator George Brandis described Howard as a lying rodent, core and non-core promises, children overboard, WMD's the list is as long of your arm, the denial of climate change until the day after Bush's "State of the Union" speech, where Bush recognised climate change. Howard is yesterday's man, Rudd is the leader for the future.

glen.v,
Housing affordability, what planet do you live on mate, Zircon?

When I saw the author's name, I was expecting silly anti-Howard poetry only be surprised by a well written piece.

Howard's first 5 years of government was good management only to lose the plot on September 11, 2001. From this time on, more so since a marginal majority win of the Senate, Australian's are facing bleak times as Citizen's are losing jobs to imports who work for lower wages and no rights. That my friends, is treason.

People are finding it harder and harder to keep up, disabled people being cast aside like vermin missing only natural gas powered rooms. Not acknowledging people as disabled does not eradicate the illness but hey, let's save money so some foreign business can take it instead.

Howard has become nothing but a traitor, his whole government in need of imprisonment for this serious offence.

The author forgets that one more Bali or terroist attack will turn the polls in a day. Anyone calling the election this far out has a lot to learn about how people vote.

The major polls have shown a steady drift away from the coalition to Labor for more than 12 months - see http://www.ozpolitics.info/election2007/polls.htm
It is clear many voters did not want Howard any more but weren't prepared to go for Beazley either. The change in leadership has been the excuse those voters were looking for to change camp.
As long as Rudd doesn't do anything really dumb between now and the election he has an excellent chance.
If the polls continue to strongly favor Labor don't be surprised if Howard develops a health problem mid year - better to quit on medical grounds than be seen as a loser.
Is there self interest in Howard boosting funding for aged care? He should be looking for new accommodation by the end of the year.

It stuns me that howard is where he is, first when he was treasurer the interest rate and unemployment rate was sky-high. They are down now because of howard no! howard had nothing to do with the resources boom mainly from China/Japan.
Howard is divisive, a proven liar, deceitful and untrustworthy.Also the don (I know nothing) of an ugly group of political thugs which has destroyed others - namely Pauline and Cheryl and a failed attempt to destroy Keating.
Every election he treats the voting public with total disdain and why wouldn't he as he buys their votes and they willingly sell them. He has began this election with "his?" great water deal please would we have this flawed deal on the table if Rudd hadn't first talked about the problem which has been around for 10+ years. Howard will spend any amount of OUR money to stay in power. Also he has thrown money at the retirement homes again after how many years of neglect?
He also stopped the dental scheme for the elderly, here it is reported that older pensioner citizens have resorted to pulling their own aching teeth with pliers. But, of course, where else could he obtain money to stay at Kirribilli house and have the RAAF take him to and from Canberra - a sort of expensive taxi service for a heap of arrogance. I hope that at last the electors will see him for what he is. Regards, numbat

A very astute post John on the decade that has been Howard's Way.

But 'glen' you mentioned: Low interest rates? Full employment..what year was this glen?....mmmm..No.. I don't think so....E.G: the employment figures we do get, are at best rubbery and cloaking a vast population of working poor thanks to Howard excluded from full time employment & reduced to the joys of long term uncertain casual shifts, part-time roles while raising their families, paying childcare etc., - on half the wages of their lucky plasma owning betters.

The Lucky Country is now only for the Lucky few glen..

Academics and church worthies – what a strange combination. That’s like mentioning 'customer service' and 'banks' in the same sentence.

SHONGA, that’s pure gold. A legal eagle calling someone a liar. I read that with rheumy eyes. Are you suggesting that liars have infiltrated into Australian politics? Surely we must be approaching the time when the lion shall lay down with the lamb.

Doctor Tomlison, I think you need to get about a bit more.

Howard's progressive gun laws are yet another example of his smoke and mirror PR spin. Several studies have now shown the buy-back of 1996 did not make Australia safer or reduce firearm homicide. Just recently the media has made much of the illegal use of firearms in crime and the success of good police investigations (for example: the recent NSW 'sting' over two years). Not only did John Howard waste $500 Australian dollars by marginalising licenced sporting shooters in 1996 he diverted the focus and the funding from two critical areas that would have made a big difference to the wellbeing of Australians and safe communities.

THese areas are mMental health and good policing.

Dream on John, dream on. You will wake up to reality later on in the year.

I wouldn't write Howard off just yet, he might succeed in convincing the voters that his government is better than Labor at dealing with climate change.Austalia is in debt to foreign lenders in excess of $500 billion,until the debt bubble bursts and causes a recession the Liberals will trade on the illusion of superior economic management.

russell

Seems eons ago when Johnny Howard was that rather meek second lieutenant type who was reasonably good as treasurer, but would never make top grade.

But give him his due it could be said that the giving of top responsibility to him has made him a man - or seemingly, because he has played wedge politics and come in on the grouter, wheeler-dealer style, more like an American than an Australian.

Openly stealing the global warming agenda is his latest
lurk. Since the war had a soldier settler atealing ideas in our country town. Got that way he began to lose friends especially in the local pub. Finished having to booze in the saloon with the local business Johnnies, rather than in the main bar.

Johnny is safe, though, as he doesn't seem the type who would frequent the main bar.

The point is, why do some people in high places have to spoil themselves by jumping in with all the answers, and using 'I' at every opportunity, when in a Parliamentary democracy it should most always be 'we' or 'us'.

Of course, the biggest shock was a former ordinary Aussie like little Johnny chumming up to Georgie Boy Bush and still backing the horrible schemozzle that Iraq has now become, with Bush determined to see it out, naturally not forgetting the enormous martial power that he knows he can still bring to bear. Could wonder if it is this power potential that really keeps Howard loyal to Bush?

Yes, could really wonder how history will treat Howard in the long run, especially as most university trained historians don't appear to think much of him?

My dream team, Kevin Rudd - social democrat pragmatist, at the head of a coalition government cut free from all the drag of the extreme left and union extremist rubbish. Switch parties Kevin and cut yourself free of all the lead sinkers that will dray you down in the next poll.

Fencepost

Looking at parliament last week (Climate Change) and this week (Iraq) the Labor party is setting the adgenda. Howard had to correct a statement he made last week, he was not going to do it this week.(re his stupid Obama - Democratic Party gaffe).

The Labor party are attacking his strengths, security this week, maybe the economic miracle next.

Howard looks uncomfortable, his front bench looked pissed off. The Labor party will wedge the Libs and Nats on water (compulsory acquisition of water entitlements etc.)

Game on. I have not seen Howard so desparate for yonks.

PS I'm back :) Chemo worked again.

I am still wondering how USA withdrawing from Iraq could endanger the US and its allies.
The more soldiers left to fight the next battle the better I would have thought. And I personally prefer an Al quada resting on its laurels than sending its own and the 'west' into self-perpetuating destruction

John Howard has just awoken from his slumber.Kevin Rudd is the only serious contender Labor has managed to spawn in over a decade of opposition.I was listening to the debate in Parliament today.Kevin Rudd harped on about Obarma and the Democrats being offended by the charge of neglect in leaving Iraq in a definite time frame no matter how much chaos ensued.

John Howard was only partially correct in stating it would be a terrorists' paradise.If the fundamentalists unite in the Middle East,they could disrupt the supply of oil to the world and bring on WW3.

In the debate today John Howard well and truely had Rudds measure.Kevin Rudd ranted and raved on about how John Howard always has these bag of goodies to bribe his way back into Govt come election time.In the past Labor had no bag of goodies to bribe the electorate since they were broke.Remember the $80 billion deficit?Then we have the argument of the resources boom being reason for Howard's success.Well back in the early seventies Gough Whitlam also had a resoures boom and he too sent the country broke.Labor cannot manage the excesses of their ideals.They have yet to grasp how a free enterprise economy works.This is their greatest folly.

Other than Rudd,who have Labor got?An ageing rock star with obsessive compulsive greeny disorder,Julia Gillard who idolises Swedish socialism.Well,where are the others who have a broard spectrum of both experience and intelligence?

We have one articulate Rudd,which I applaud,but the rest are dudds.

Steve Madden I'm pleased to see you back!

Arjay...the Whitlam era...for God's sake he only controlled Australia for one term? Whitlam probably did more for cultural and social reform in his short period than any PM!
As for Johnny, l think he's luck is bound to run out soon...inherited a country coming out of recession, survived Tampa with the unfortunate 9/11 but can climate change and Iraq bring and end to this bloke.
I'm not a Howard supporter, more Hewson who completely blew it, but you have to hand it to little Johnny for lasting this long.
As for Rudd, l like him, he seems calm and articulate and rather pleasant to listen without the constant personal attacking that Howard and Costello and Crean/Latham and cuddly bear Beazley?
On low interest rate, yep, but what about wage reform in comparison to the Cost of Living?

Congrats to steve madson for the chemo working. Funny, you get to know people on this forum, I even wonder how they are. Even my rivals.

I think Howard make a big gaff in commenting on Obama, intruding on another country's electoral process. He is out of his depths indruding on White House politics.

The Americans hate being told what to do from foreigners. That is something I learned living there. I would expect back fire from the American Democracrats, now given a right to respond in kind. I would imagine the American Democracts will go on and on about the Australian Wheat Board, and how in trade during war, sleaze should never happen. They may even place more documents to the media linking the Australian Government's involvement on this. The US has known for a long time.

The US farmers are our competitors, they want punches to their rivals and will reward the Democrats with the farm vote.

They will make Howard out to be an evil little rat internationally, one that even Bush will not defend. Texans never back losers.

My prediction is that Peter Costello will overreact to this and see this as a chance to check the water again. Don't be surprised to hear some snippy comments from Costello again.

This time it will snap Howard's patience, and there is no telling what he is going to do under such pressure. The poor thing actually had to flip-flop on climate change. Bet he is furious over that.

This will be some performance. The ALP needs to just play cool and watch the fireworks. The Liberals will discredit themselves with finess this year.

Dear Mr.OMG....
Whitlam ? Social 'reform' ? mate.. more like cultural genocide.
Seldom have so many owed so much (slash_and_burn cultural politics)to so few....
Whitlams and Grassby's criminal policies were the modern equivalent to the steel axes supplied to the Yor Yuront of Cape York Peninsula, and anyone who knows the case is aware of what happened over time with that tribe.
http://www.anthroprof.org/documents/Docs102/102articles/steelAxes.pdf

SELF INTEREST ? yep..sadly each of us has turned to his own way and like sheep, we have gone astray... thinking of no-one but....'us'.
Until we crawl out from under that psychological rock we are doomed to further decay. We need to re-bond with each other.

When Aussie troops went to Palestine/Israel in the later part of WW1 they spontaneously helped out in Kibbutz's...hand milking cows and generally bonding with the locals. Older Israelis smile with warm fondness when remembering the Aussies of that time, who went the extra mile to help. I guess in those days we have more of a 'bush spirit'.

WATER ?.. of course we need to fix it. But HITTING people with licence fees on rain tanks to prop up privatized corporate water company profit sure is NOT the way to go.

24 hours aged this article substantially.

Now Howard's gone to attacking foreign political candidates.

Why? Why attack Obama so stridently? He's not even the endorsed candidate at this stage.

BOAZ_David, cultural genocide? You confused with Menzies here? So the foundations of modern multiculturalism (that maybe a + or -); Medicare, free university education and l think he got the process rolling on Aboriginal reconciliation - all "criminal policies"? Did you pay for your uni education or happy with the HECS and now pay as you go?
Quote from your link "Without the past, the present could be meaningless and the future unstructured and uncertain. Insecurities would be inevitable." - maybe this is what society needs to remember!

Mr.OMG,

Didn't you know?

According to Arjay Gogh Whitlam is responsible for global warming,world famine, flat batteries,cancer, aids, tooth aches and ingrown toe nails. You name it, its there.

Just ask him.

The Rgt Hon E.G. Whitlam, the greatest Prime Minister this nation has know, reformed this country for the better in the 3 years he was there, than all who followed in the three decades hence.

Steve Madden, great news. You're starting to look like our local immortal.

Good timing too. This is shaping up to be an interesting year.

Thanks 'smoker and others.

I just heard the editor of the bulletin saying that Ratty Howard is on the nose with a few nervous backbenchers who are briefing journalists "off the record" to say that Peter Costello should have been made leader last year.

Not a happy lot of campers in the coalition, interesting times. 3.3% swing is very possible and is scaring the pants off of Libs and Nats in marginal seats. :)

Rainier is right. For Howard to make that childish swipe at Obama, he must be feeling either desperate but really proving a weakness that he has had all along.

Faith in big power, no matter what the make-up. No matter a White House run mostly by neo-cons and oil executives, whom full of so much bullsh-t bravado had published 'The American Project for the 21st Century'.

While many have disappeared from news services, we still have
Dick Cheney and Condoleeza Rice, two of the highest positions next to a President who continually dreams about his God-given role of ridding this world of all evil.

Dick Cheney is about to pay us a visit. But bet he fails to mention how a big percentage of the US forces in Iraq are guarding the oilfields, making sure Cheney and Condoleza's oily camp followers can get on with the job.

Come on Johnny, we know you love to be in with the big-time,
might be about time you took a raincheck, however. Not before time either, because most practised historians have had your destiny worked out for two years at least.

Mr OMG,I've spoken to bureaucrats employed in Gough's era and he spent like there was no tomorrow.Yes,it only took him one term and that was the main reason he was sacked.Now if you want present examples,just have a close look at all our Labor State Govts.NSW is stuffed.Victoria is on the slide and Beatty is getting on the nose in Queensland.Joh may have been corrupt,but he ran a tight ship and got things done.

Gough did a few positive things for the arts,however too much social security,and the loss of discipline/respect began with his era.

Which is worse,economic ineptitude which hurts millions or a bit of corruption?I think in NSW we have both.

Steve,
Welcome back mate, I'm happy that all went well for you, 3.3% is doable, but it will be the fight of Rudd's political life, I hope he does as well as you have done in your fight mate, all the best, Shaun.

Arjay,

Victoria “on the slide”! I live here and it is so much better than when the Liberals ruled the state. Partly, it is due to buoyant economic conditions throughout the whole country, but it is also due to the work of the Labor government that has been gradually rebuilding public services after the 1992-99 disaster.

If we are going to judge today by the Whitlam era, why not go all the way and talk about the Barton Government?

Those who predict the election result now have a 50 per cent chance of being right, and will no doubt brag if they are. If they are wrong, they will just remain silent.

Labor has a real chance. If you read The Australian, you will have noticed the number of times it has had editorials or opinion pieces pushing Kevin Rudd to turn the Labor Party into a Liberal Party. This suggests to me that it is worried about a Labor victory and is therefore doing its best to make such an event less meaningful. So far, Labor has lacked clarity. As time passes, it is going to have to get to the details. This will show us all where it stands.

When the Victorian Liberals lost in 1999, the papers were full of letters from disgruntled Liberals predicting doom and gloom, falling skies, the end of life as we know it. It was nothing but hot air. In fact, Labor managed the state's finances and social policies so well that it went on to win in two historic landslides in 2002 and 2002. If Labor wins the federal election, I believe it will have an even bigger victory at the subsequent double dissolution because those who still have doubts will be convinced by its performance once in government, just as Victorians have been.

Did any one else hear that Senator Nick Minchin is telling people that Howard developed his water policy without refering it to cabinet?

Well, judging by what's been going on in Canberra lately, it looks like we may finally be witnessing the beginning of the end of the Howard reign, a reign propped up by a global economic boom, a national resources boom, a string of incompetent opposition leaders and a politically unaware electorate.

We are now seeing the cracks appear in a tired old man who grew comfortable with Beazley, but is now clearly rattled by a sharper opponent who has out-witted him and out-smarted him on almost every turn.

The unshakeable Howard appears more and more shaken every day by a mere Poindexter who has finally shown the more apathetic in this country what a lot of us already knew about the ideology that drives him and his party. Australians are slowly realising now that Howard really isn't as smart or politically savvy as Beazley, Crean and Latham made him look.

It has recently been said that Howard is like a Cobra, bobbing and weaving and always probing for a weak point. The problem is, the other guy is a Mongoose.

Howard's recent comments in regards to Obama are nothing more than a tactic to distract the country from his momentary admission that he is still a global warming skeptic, an admission that could possibly be detrimental to his re-election hopes. Fortunately though, his comments seem to have done more damage than there would have been had he just kept his mouth shut.

Howard should have done what Rupert Murdoch suggested recently and quit while he was (artificially) on top. I suspect Howard now realises this too and is upset by the possibility of losing an election; It shows in his frequent out-bursts and nonsensical rebuttals. But because of his arrogance and false sense of security as PM, he has over-estimated himself this time and we may now be lucky enough to witness his political demise. Hopefully we will see the ship go down with it's captain too.

I think Kevin Rudd is trying to score as many points as he can without sticking his own neck out too far. It's a tricky thing to do and is already starting to bite him, as he is now under pressure to give his own Iraq policy. Basically, the Labor party is the same mess it has been for many years, but they've finally found a couple of half-decent leaders and are now trying their hardest to keep it all together.

Kevin will be relying mainly on the growing public sentiment that maybe Howard has been in a bit long, is making a few too many mistakes, and it's time for someone else to have a go. If he can keep his head down long enough, and surface only to reinforce that growing sentiment, he stands a fair chance of getting in. If John, however, succeeds in drawing Kevin into revealing specifics of alternative plans, it might scare the public into a "devil you know" mindset again (like last time).

What has Rudd got to explain? His policy on Iraq is well known - withdraw Australian troops.

Remember the Labor Party voted against our involvement, The Iraq disaster is partly due to Howards actions yet he has no answer.

He now talks about an American "defeat" in Iraq. How could America ever win in Iraq?

Rudd tried to bring on a debate, on Iraq, in Parliament this morning. Guess what our Government wimped it.

Come on Johnny stop regurgitating Fox News "Defeat" and tell us what your solution to the mess you helped create is.

Future generations living on this continent might probably hear of a Howard government some sort info similar to nowadays one of Broze Tito of then near-communist Yugoslavia that is about selling off Australian resources to China on heavily-discounted-price-based-long-terms agreements, while endlessly borrowing money overseas and balloning national debt to please voters and recent UK masters - a time-bomb of the Balkans of the nineties prior to “Oizy Juimujhurmia” of which predecessor called recently “Australia” a pre-islamist Anglo-oriented entity was.

I am really worried about staying in Iraq. Bush and the UK are starting to blame Iran for providing weapons to Shia insurgents. I thought we were technically on the side of the Shia, So we go to war now against Iran and shia muslims and the now who are we defending...the sunni. This is the mob we robbed of power in Iraq to begin with.

I have never known who our actual enemy is in Iraq. Who is it? Al-queada were never there to start with and I feel their only interest now is the US presence. The new terrorism that has started would be normal, I think, considering the sunni and shia have had issues for centuries. I doubt the love will start again anytime soon.

I read that a US senator wants to stay because the Shia majority government cannot be trusted and will side with the shia in a civil war. So we replace Saddam? This seems what will happen. Huge death toll, millions of refugees and pretend democracy.

There are 3.6 milions refugees from this war already and now things may escalate to conflict with Iran. Then nukes may start flying and Israel may not wait to see what happens. Maybe I am getting carried away but I really want our government (whoever it maybe) to get us the hell out!

Glen. Even Howard admits he has no control over interest rates. Where do you get the idea from? Howard's election rants obviously.

The punters have put the money on. Labor in from $2.75 to now $1.84. Coalition out to $1.96. It's over.

Fixing the Murray? My God Glen, where are you? Must be still struggling through the effluent pipes somewhere, on the Murray of course, being fixed.

The fat lady has begun to warble. Just listen to Abbott and Costelloe (yes the comedic duo) trying the old name calling routine. Desperation is what it is. It's over.

All Premiers and Howard have been claiming the title of great economic manager. Different Parties. Hmmm. GST and the mining boom make us all good managers.

Yet Howard has left a large portion of our people in poverty. Now that's extra special management, excluding several groups deliberately. That's real clever.

Progressive gun laws? You mean take away the legally owned and used guns and leave the criminals with theirs. Very smart.

Howard has one legacy. Mean, Rat, rodent. Forget him, he's a pain in the derriere.

Never was a clever politician. Just a careful liar. Careful to never have no one to blame. Clever to always avoid answering anything directly. Does "I wasn't answering that part of the question" ring a bell anyone?

Let's not though forget that Labor will be in office. Everywhere. A new danger to all.

Change the balance. Vote TAPP. The Australian People's Party. Looking for candidates right now.

Have you noticed first:Millions for aged care in hostels etc of course we have this problem for 10 years or more.
Second: Billions for the Murray river system 'repair' another problem that's been around for 10+years
Third: An attack on an American Senator as a diversionary ploy -the same divisive,cunning howard
Fourth: Qld. roads to be up-graded another 10+year problem and I bet ONLY roads that are in marginal seats are up-graded -again typical rat cunning howard.
Next - just wait for the leader of the national party to be given a very large brown paper bag and sent as a 'bagman' to tour marginal seats with money to buy votes err sorry I meant of course to dole out big money for the federation fund to do good things for marginal and/or national/liberal seats.
One of his own called him,howard, a lying rodent last election and if anyone knows he would. Regards, numbat

Howard’s water plan is usual theory of flashing money intended for mates only rather than practical path to executing a project. Sorry, I like some moments of but …

Howard's own seat is marginal with some pretty big demographic changes in the past few years. There's a possibility that even if the Libs win, Howard will lose his seat. How interesting would that be?

If Howard loses his seat it would be of no relevance because if the Liberal Party wins the election, Turnbull will be PM. If Howard thinks he's going to lose the election, he will retire "to spend more time with the family" and Costello will take over to lose. Turnbull will then become Opposition Leader. The factions within the Liberal Party don't want a Victorian PM, they want the power maintained in Sydney.

Which is a worry because the NSW Branch of the Liberal Party is being invaded by the religious lunatic right, so expect a stouch over leadership in the Liberal Party, whether they win or lose.

I reckon the next election is still a 50-50 bet, but Ratty and his team have been caught out in the past 2 weeks of parliament.

Jo Hockey couldn't answer why jobs growth since work choices was lower than the corresponding period before no choices.

Tony Abbott used out of date figures on state expenditure on dental health. (Showing a decrease when the published figures show an increase)

The personal attacks on Kevin Rudd are not sticking, even if The Speaker has defied convention and would not make Abbott withdraw his "Dr Death" comment.

10 billion for the murray darling, replacing the six billion the states already spend and is it for the MD or for all states? Not even a cabinet issue, treasury and finance are livid.

Will there be compulsory aquisition of water entitlements? The Nats say NO.

Changes to Matters of Public Importance debates to gag the independants.

Sorry ratty not a good year so far. The Howard superglue that held the coalition factions together is falling apart.

If Howard does lose the next election the conservative side of politics will be in turmoil for decades. :)

Steve,
Now I have something to look forward to, thanks mate, Regards, Shaun.

It took Obama to reveal him for what he is.

Can Rudd and Labor?

Yes, good point Ranier.

One thing I have noticed this year is that, in Howard's desperation, he is finally starting to show his true colours and his far-right way of thinking is starting to seep through.

I feel a deep sense of dismay that Australia's political climate had to come to this for most of the electorate to realise Howard's ultra-conservative way of thinking.

But it is a great relief to see that the more apathetic Australians are (finally) starting to see through the Mr Moderate act. It must take a lot of mind-numbing reality TV and Australian Idol to dull ones senses to that point!

Hopefully it will be a long time before this country has such a lax view of far-right politics again.

I truly hope that a Post-Howard Liberal party can regain at least a little bit of center-ground again. The way I believe Menzies intended it to be.

John Simpson,

Yes true. I think in general terms Australians do not have a problem with a kind of organic political conservatism but do have problems with right wing extremism.

Howard's national levers of fear and greed have broken handles.

His dog whistle is barely audible.

In 1996 the domestic hegemonic perspective was insular and nationalistic. It still is but it now has a lens for global issues and perspectives.

The levers that inform this lens are beyond Howard’s reach but well within the reach of the aspirational ambitions of Rudd.

It is the combination of national and international issues that are shaping the electoral perspective.

In other words Rudd can say what he would like to do internationally. There is no new ground for Howard to harvest internationally. We already know who and WHAT he is.

If a terrorist attack were to occur here Howard the opportunist would silently rejoice.

But npw he has lost the ability to masquerade his private political ambitions to the ordinary man in the street.

The game is up!

Some papers had provided info of Howard Sr.'s membership at a local Australian branch of English fascist party prior to its being banned around the end of WWII.

Family values matter sometimes, is it a modern notion?

Oh Chainsmoker, please don't deprive of us of watching How Hard either sit sulkily on the back benches for 3 years or the even greater shame of resigning and creating a by election. Please!

Perhaps he will resort to a wheelchair and mask like someone who ran away to Spain?

No matter how much fun it would be to see him unseated I want the other demonstration. How Hard who cares for....himself!

Where are you Glen? Sitting by the Murray watching Turnbull sell carbon credits? Floating somehwere in an effluent drain pipe?

Perhaps rushing around buying all that affordable housing? Speak up, we can't hear you.

MichaelK, what is that fascist party please and where is the newspaper reference. "Some papers"? Be specific otherwise you must work for FOXNEWS. They use the "Some people etc" line all the time with no backup.

Note the fascist white OZ party that is supporting the Coalition. Today.

Thanks to those answering my rhetorical question re the US helping OZ. Never happened did it all? All we get from the US is Rap, Golden Arches, baggy knee length shorts with crutches below the knee, backwards baseball caps, movies we can't understand without subtitles and most of all...... Corruption.

RobbynH.,

Very broad articles on this topic were regularly published in The Citizen of the known Australian Civil Liberties - so-called "La Roche party".

Surely not a fun of La Roche, I have no reason to reject information repeatedly presented in writing to public - as well as an interesting page-volume research of the Howards involvement (The Age) in Papua
industries at the time.

MichaelK,
The organisation is now known as the Citizens Electoral Council, I'd like to know for sure that this little man would lose the next election, however he is as slippery as a 44 gallon drum of snot.

He will manufacture something out of nothing again to frighten the public into staying with who they know, the big question is will the public fall for the tactic again.

The tactic of "divide and conquer" has proven the test of time, doesn't matter the subject, Menzies used to use "the yellow peril" or "reds under the beds" to frighten people, the tories game plan hasn't changed much, but have the Australian people learned from past mistakes?

All these billions promised by that oily lying rodent - just like previous elections howard is trying to buy votes once again yet heh it has worked before. But these "promises?" are they core or non-core that is, of course, are they stinking lying statements or are they fair dinkum? This politician wouldn't know the truth even if it reared up and bit him in his bum. Now costello is sort of promising a big tax cut - the libs and their ever compliant grovelling nats are really running scared this time. Regards, numbat

"Big tax cut" -what majority leaving on hand-overs has from but GST?

Costello tells of a government's responsibility over water supply on affordable prices while some "professionals" called to rip consuming re-usable volumes at a higher rate.

However, an "oily rat" expression itself broadens English practical dictionary substantially.

A man goes up to heaven and is greeted warmly by St. Peter at The Pearly Gates.
Peter welcomes the newcomer and they start a friendly chat.
"Why don't I show you around heaven?" Peter says.
The newcomer welcomes the help.
As he wanders around heaven he is surprised by the number of clocks.
Wherever he goes there are more and more clocks.
The newcomer to heaven puzzled, asks Pete about the clocks
"O" says peter, "Each clock represents a person on earth and every time someone lies the minute hand moves !`"
"Look here is Mother Teresa's the hands have never moved; and here is Nelson Madella's the hand has only moved once." says St. Peter.
The newcomer delighted, spends the rest of the day looking at all his living friends and relations.
Catching up with Peter after a fun day he says, "Great Pete, but I couldn't find Australian Prime Minister John Howard's clock anywhere?"
"O sorry" says Peter,
"God's office gets very hot and stuffy and he uses it as a ceiling fan!"